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Earlier this year, Netflix told investors its first quarter 2012 loss might range from $27 million to $9 million. Profits from domestic and international streaming helped minimize the loss, CEO Reed Hastings told investors on today’s earnings call. The company also had slightly lower technology and development and administrative expenses, he said.

Netflix faces stiff competition, especially for online streaming as Verizon Communications Inc., in a joint venture with DVD rental company Redbox Automated Retail LLC, announced a streaming video service to launch later this year. Amazon.com Inc. also added more programs to its streaming video service.

Online video service Hulu also is catching Hastings’ eye. “While we have 10 times more domestic paid members, and we added over three times more domestic net additions than Hulu in Q1, we do watch them carefully,” Hastings said. Just as Netflix does with Amazon, he added.

For the second quarter, Netflix expects sales to range from $873 million to $895 million and its income to range from a $6 million loss to an $8 million profit.